WASHINGTON, D.C. – Led by Congresswoman Lois Capps and Congressman Steven LaTourette, 158 House Members sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee calling for additional funding for Nurse Workforce Development Programs.  The bipartisan letter noted that the nursing shortage poses a grave threat to both patient safety and domestic preparedness efforts. 

“This additional funding is critical to addressing our country’s nursing shortage,” said Capps.  “The current funding levels are inadequate and have compromised our ability to deliver quality health care and to ensure that we are prepared for domestic challenges like a bioterrorism incident or a pandemic.  If we fail to invest in training and retaining qualified nurses, our nation’s health care crisis will worsen and our homeland security efforts will be severely undermined.” 

The House Members requested $175 million for the Nursing Workforce Development Programs, the main source of funding for programs that support a sufficient nursing workforce.  The President’s budget only requests $150 million, reflecting flat funding since Fiscal Year 2005.  In their letter the House Members noted that “today’s funding for nursing education and recruitment is roughly one-quarter of the appropriations provided in 1974.” 

The current funding shortage has had a devastating impact on the financial support provided to nursing students and the ability to recruit and retain much needed nurse faculty.  In Fiscal Year 2005, 82 percent of applicants for the Nurse Education Loan Repayment Program and over 98 percent of applicants for the Nursing Scholarship Program were turned away due to a lack of federal funding.  Despite increased enrollments, schools of nursing nationwide had to reject at least 32,617 qualified applicants for entry level programs because of insufficient funding. 

Congresswoman Capps and Congressman LaTourette worked extensively with the nursing community to build support for this request for additional funding. 

"We thank Representatives Lois Capps and Steven C. LaTourette for putting forth this much-needed call for greater funding," said ANA President Barbara Blakeney, MS, RN. "The bipartisan show of support to significantly increase funding for nursing education programs is truly impressive. ANA strongly supports the proposed increase to help increase the supply of new nurses and assist practicing nurses pursue advanced education in specialty areas that are experiencing acute shortages," added Blakeney.

“Clearly, more funding is needed for nurse education programs,” said Capps.  “My colleagues and I are strongly committed to providing the resources necessary to meet the rising demand for Registered Nurses.  We will continue to fight to secure this additional funding because solving the shortage of key healthcare personnel is vital to providing quality health care and ensuring homeland security.”

A copy of the letter is attached: 

The Honorable James T. Walsh

Chair

Subcommittee for Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies

Committee on Appropriations

United States House of Representatives

The Honorable Chet Edwards

Ranking Member

Subcommittee for Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies

Committee on Appropriations

United States House of Representatives

Dear Chairman Walsh and Ranking Member Edwards:

We are writing in support of a $175 million funding level for the Nursing Workforce Development Programs in the FY 2007 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill.  These programs, contained in Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act, are the primary means for supporting a sufficient nursing workforce.

The United States is currently in the midst of a critical nursing shortage, which began in 1999.  The Department of Health and Human Services’ own “Budget in Brief” document for FY2007 noted that the U.S. is expected to face a nursing shortage of 29 percent by 2020.  We must take action now to meet both our current need for nurses and also prepare for future needs. Today’s funding for nursing education and recruitment is roughly one-quarter of the appropriations provided in 1974.

This unprecedented shortage threatens our ability to treat today’s patients and undermines homeland security efforts. Studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association have shown that the nursing shortage is contributing to preventable health care complications. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has reported that the shortage of nurses factors in nearly a quarter of all unexpected incidents that kill or injure hospitalized patients.

Nurses are also critical to efforts to treat U.S. military personnel as well as to prepare for and respond to domestic threats. There are currently more than 19,000 RNs providing care through the military reserves. The GAO reports that nursing shortages are complicating efforts at the state and local level to implement terrorism preparedness efforts.

Federal investment in Title VIII programs will ensure that qualified applicants are not turned away from schools of nursing by providing financial support for programs and the creation of more nurse faculty.  Furthermore, it will enable thousands of nursing students to participate in the Nurse Education Loan Repayment Program and the Nursing Scholarship Program.  These newly trained nurses will, in turn, provide critical services to underserved areas.

Now is the time to reinvest in nursing. Your support for a total of at least $175 million in FY 2007 funding for Nursing Workforce Development is vital to maintaining and improving the health of our nation.

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